The Gurnee Village Board has voted down a proposal that would have required the installation of residential fire sprinklers in newly constructed homes. Illinois REALTORS® have advocated against mandating sprinklers, saying installation should be optional, allowing the homeowner to make the choice.

Howard Handler, a governmental affairs director for the Illinois Association of REALTORS®, told Gurnee trustees that smoke detectors were more important than an expensive sprinkler system, theLake County News-Sun reports.

“With such a heavy price tag and with marginal benefits, consumers should be the ones to decide if a $10,000-plus piece of safety equipment is right for the family, or if their money would be better off going toward a retirement plan or a youngster’s college fund,” he said.

Peoria area homes sales jump
First quarter homes sales in the Peoria area are up 22 percent compared to last year, a good sign for the start of the spring housing market. Watch a report from WMBD-TV.